Dimensions
by lnk On Paper
Summary: Fourteen-year-old Dove Atelis and her best friends Michael and Mason live ordinary lives. That is, until Mason discovers a crack in the time and space continuum that could possibly lead the trio into a new dimension: Maximum Ride's dimension. Takes place after Maximum Ride Forever. ON HIATUS.
1. Chapter 1: Chocolate Raspberry Elephant

**Random: Write down 3.14 (also known as pi) on a piece of paper and then look at it with a mirror. YOU WILL BE AMAZED.**

 **Hi! This is my first fanfic. That being said, I apologize for any mistakes I may have overlooked.** **I'm not sure how long** ** _Dimensions_** **will be, but I believe it will be more than 20 chapters. I have** ** _most_** **of the plot figured out, but I'm going to be winging (get it?** ** _Winging_** **? Heh heh) things a lot. This story focuses mainly on my own characters, but the Flock plays very important roles.**

 **A few things you might want to know about my characters:**

 **The main protagonist, Dove, is sarcastic, extremely immature, and likes to lighten the mood by joking around. Although her mature level is often compared to a six-year-old's, she hates seeing people being bullied and will not hesitate to kick the bully's butt. She loves reading and is extremely smart, but she doesn't really believe it.**

 **Mason, one of Dove's close friends, is basically a fifteen-year-old Einstein. He loves computers, and he has a very dry humor. Don't put flammable stuff near him. It can be fatal.**

 **Michael, Dove's other best friend, is a human cinnamon roll. Get on his bad side, though, and you will regret being born. He's intelligent and witty, but also pretty shy.**

 **I hope you enjoy! Reviews are appreciated!**

 **MAY THE BACON BE EVER IN YOUR FAVOR.**

* * *

Introduction:

Alright, I'll be honest.

I think it's extremely dangerous for you to know all of this, but Dove thinks you should know about it, and once Dove makes up her mind, you don't want to try to change it unless you fancy sporting a black eye for the rest of the week.

Anyway, if you don't want to have any part in this—or don't think you can handle it—my advice is this: stop reading _now_. Because we aren't just dealing with the queen bee in your school or your evil math teacher; we're dealing with things that come right out of your nightmares—and sometimes even worse.

If you still want to be a part of this, then you are beyond hope. (That's okay, though, because most of us are, too.)

I just need you to promise me one thing: you can't tell anyone about this. You can put everyone's lives at risk if you do.

By reading the following chapters, you can save—or end—the world. (Little word of advice: I would really, _really_ like to not die soon. I want to read _The Trials of Apollo_ , and I'm still on Season 3 of Doctor Who.)

You'll have to make sacrifices, and you'll experience pain worse than paper cuts. (Those little suckers _hurt_.)

In other words, it'll pretty much suck (most of the time, anyway).

But it's worth it, I promise.

The only question is, as one of my close friends would say…

Are you up for the ride?

-Mason Hoffman

* * *

"Yo, Dove! Wake up, you unbelievably loud snorer. I'm surprised your neighbors can sleep through that. Sweet Nutella, look at your _hair_! You sure there are no bats living in it? Anyway, I think Michael and I finally got it! Wait… _is that drool_?"

Those were the first words I heard the day the world—and possibly the universe, but no biggie—changed forever. Encouraging, right?

"Huh?" I said groggily, trying to wipe drool off my chin and sit up at the same time without falling.

"I think Michael and I finally got it!" The voice said.

I looked over at the clock. 4:36. _In the morning._ I was about to rat out whoever thought it would be a good idea to wake me up at such an ungodly time, until I realized who it was. "Holy—Mason, what are you doing in my room?"

Mason rolled his eyes. "I've already told you: I think we figured it out. I'll explain on the way to my place. You go change, and I'll wait in the kitchen. By the way—did you buy more of those chocolate raspberry bars? They're awesome."

I groaned and threw a pillow at Mason, and he laughed. "I'll be in the kitchen."

After he left, I reluctantly got out of bed and changed. I attempted to brush my hair, but after a few tries and a whole lot of cursing, I gave up and pulled it into a ponytail. When I arrived at the kitchen of my (okay, my mom's) apartment, I saw Mason stuffing his face with Ghirardelli raspberry squares. I smiled. Mason's been my best friend since first grade, and he's always been a fan of sweets. He has blue eyes and light brown hair, which, according to my friends Vera and Anne, is 'extremely adorable'. I don't see it, that being because I think of him as my brother, and he thinks of me as his sister.

"Someone's hungry," I said, trying to stifle a laugh but failing miserably.

Mason stopped mid-bite and smiled. "I haven't eaten in, like, five hours. I could eat a chocolate-raspberry elephant right now."

I rolled my eyes. "I don't doubt it. So, you guys think you finally figured it out?"

Mason's eyes brightened. "Yeah. I haven't gone through yet, but I pushed a rubber duck through, and Betsy—"

"You named your computer Betsy?" I snorted, but he ignored me.

"—didn't report anything weird—or weirder than normal, at least." He concluded.

I nodded, trying to get my brain to be in serious-mode for at least five minutes. "So, what are we waiting for?"

* * *

A few months ago, Mason, Michael, and I made a theory when Betsy caught some unusual activity in the time and space continuum. We did a whole buttload of research and discovered a "crack" in the continuum, which could possibly lead to another dimension. A week later, Betsy the supercomputer caught a few sound waves and vibrations, which turned out to be voices talking. (That's all I really know. Heck, Mason could give you a four hour explanation, but I seriously don't think you'll want that.)

Guess who the voices belong to. (10 bucks says you aren't expecting this.)

Have your guess? Okay, drumroll please…

The voice belongs to…

MAXIMUM RIDE.

 _GASP!_

Don't worry, I flipped out when I realized it was _the_ Maximum Ride, too. This is like those times when you look in the direction of a celebrity and you feel like you have to bow down and go " _We're not worthy!"_

We didn't know it was her right away, though. We had to actually decipher what the voice was saying ("Now, _jump_!"), and then we did another round of mind-numbing research. I honestly don't think I can think of the word without puking a little now. After finding absolutely _nada_ , I decided to read the Maximum Ride series to see how the heck Max deals with all the squat she has going on.

That was probably the best idea I ever had.

You should've seen me when I finished reading _Maximum Ride Forever._ That was the first time I squealed. I called Mason at around two in the morning, which ticked him off until I told him that it was the great Maximum Ride herself that our ears had the honor of hearing.

Mason's scream reminded me of my four-year-old neighbor next door.

After a few phone calls and permanent hearing damage, we met up at the Illegal Science Institute of Teens (ISIT), also known as Mason and Michael's apartment. I honestly don't know how they figured it out, but Mason and Michael managed to build a freaking _portal_ to access the dimension in a month.

 _A bloody month._

Sometimes Mason and Michael remind me of Gazzy and Iggy.

And that's not a good thing.

As Mason and I headed to the front door of the apartment, we passed by my mom's room. Even though the door wasn't open, I could hear my mom's snores. My mom's great, but her snores—sheesh. I taped a note I had written to her earlier on her door so she would know where I was and wouldn't go crazy and call the cops and the FBI and the president or something.

We started to go down four flights of stairs, and Mason rambled on about some complicated science stuff that could put anyone to sleep.

"—and Michael's over there right now, monitoring the machines and such." Mason concluded, a satisfied grin on his face.

I nodded and tried to ignore the somersault that my stomach had performed. We got our bikes ready and headed toward his apartment. Mason lived a few blocks away, but we liked to bike over there instead of walking, 'cause we're classy like that. Mason and Michael live in a _huge_ apartment, but where they find the money to pay for it is beyond me. The two live together without any of their parents, which is totally illegal, considering they're only 15. I've told Mason this about a thousand times, but every time he flips me off and wiggles his eyebrows. I then proceed to kick him where it counts.

Once we reach Mason and Michael's illegal science bunker, Mason hastily locks his bike and practically skips to the door. He unlocked it and opened the door, then gestured for me to enter.

"What a gentleman," I said in an attempt to do a British accent. Let me tell you, British accents are _not_ my thing.

He rolled his eyes and followed me in. When we walk in we're immediately greeted by the humming of machinery and an off-key voice singing Hello by Adele. Sweet pickles, whoever is singing must be tone deaf.

"Michael!" I yelled, trying to control my laughter at his attempt at singing. (I failed, in case you were wondering. You can't really blame me, though; _you_ should hear Michael sing. It sounds like a dying goat.)

The singing stopped and Michael entered the kitchen, where Mason and I were laughing our butts off.

Michael has dark brown eyes and black messy hair. He's 6'3, which is freakishly tall, considering he's only 15. He's wearing his usual casual I'm-going-to-stay-up-all-night-doing-science-stuff-and-singing-off-key wear, which is a sweatshirt and cargo shorts.

"Hey!" Michael said, blushing and smiling sheepishly at me. "I thought you guys were going to take a bit longer…"

"Nope," I snorted.

"Dude," Mason snickered. "You should totally try out for America's Got Talent. You could be the new Beyonce."

Michaels face reddened once more and he hit the back of Mason's head. After rolling his eyes at Mason's complaint ("You're going to give me a concussion!"), he walked toward me to give me a hug. I stuck my tongue out at Mason, who scoffed and rolled his eyes, and hugged Michael back.

Michael's the huggy person in our kick-butt trio—Mason is the brains, Michael is the cinnamon-roll-of-destruction, and I'm the hurt-any-of-them-and-you-will-deeply-regret-it chick. I gently pulled away from the hug and walked toward the back of the apartment, where Betsy the computer and a bunch of other (possibly illegal, but shhhhh) machines were.

"We think it's ready." Mason said.

"I'm pretty sure it won't explode this time," Michael said at the same time.

"O-okay," I raised my eyebrows. "That was reassuring."

"Yep." Mason said, popping the p. "You're ready to go, Dimensioner. Don't blow up into little pieces. I know you eat a lot of bacon, but I seriously doubt you're bacon-flavored."

After double-checking that I wouldn't blow up into little bacon-flavored pieces (because let's admit it: I _would_ taste like bacon) when I stepped into the portal, I put on my fancy-shmancy leather jacket, 'cause rad for dayz, right?

Ew. I can't believe I just said that. Engage cringe attack mode.

"Wait," Michael said, and my stomach decided it was now the time to try to detach itself from my body. "If you die, does that mean I get to keep your autographed books?"

I raised my eyebrows, wondering whether I should punch him or hug him. I decided I would let him live, for now. "Psh, you wish."

I picked up the supplies and one-arm hugged Michael and Mason. "Don't you dare let me die. If you do, I won't ever be able to make chocolate chip cookies again."

Their eyes widened in horror, and I allowed myself one more small laugh.

I took a deep breath and stepped into the portal.

Time to meet the Flock.


	2. Chapter 2: Roller Coaster of Doom

**Random: There's actually bacon flavored frosting wHAT**

 **Thank you so much for reviewing, Flowersocks2137 and FandomsXUnite. You guys rock :)**

 **I hope you guys like the second chapter of _Dimensions_!**

 **MAY THE BACON BE EVER IN YOUR FAVOR.**

* * *

Angel's eyes snapped open, her breathing heavy. She looked out the window Fang and Iggy had made by hitting the rock with wooden bats and a rusty hammer they had found a few months ago. Judging by the position of the moon, she guessed it was about three in the morning. Normally she wouldn't have woken up until nine, but this time it was different.

She had gotten another vision.

Angel hadn't been getting visions since the Flock had moved into the caves, so when she saw a smiling girl with brown hair and hazel eyes a few shades lighter than Max's, she knew something was up. She'd been getting visions about the same hazel-eyed girl for a month now, but hadn't bothered to tell anyone about it, not even Max. They were all busy with Phoenix.

Thinking about Max made a massive wave of guilt hit Angel. Poor Max. Angel had betrayed her and the Flock countless times, but Max had been the first to forgive her. The rest of the Flock still had their doubts, and Angel couldn't blame them, but she still felt that horrible pang in her stomach when she walked into a room and all the talking stopped.

 _This isn't the time,_ Angel scolded herself. She slowly untangled herself from her old but comfortable blankets and started sneaking out of her room, taking the now familiar route to Max and Fang's room.

The visions had first come up every few nights, but now it felt like every time she blinked she got another one. She had learned the girl's name and other information: Dove Atelis, age 14, height 5'6, birthday on October 28, and her best friends were Mason Hoffman and Michael Carter. Angel was slightly jealous of Dove's friendship with Mason and Michael; it reminded her of the Flock before she had been kidnapped.

She rounded the corner leading to Max and Fang's room and knocked twice. Max answered the makeshift door not even two seconds later, her thoughts jumbled and foggy from her lack of sleep. "Everything okay?" Max asked, concern etched into her face.

Angel shook her head slightly. "Is it okay if we wake up the rest of the Flock? I- I haven't told you guys something." At seeing a flash of betrayal appear in Maximum Ride's eyes, Angel added quickly, "It's not anything bad—at least, I hope."

Max immediately understood and went back in the room to wake up Fang. Angel walked toward Nudge's room, knocking not too loudly but loud enough to wake her up. She then proceeded to do the same thing a few times, deciding to wake up the whole Flock, Harry, Star, Kate, Holden, and Ratchet included. After making sure they were all awake and getting ready, she sat down on a mat in their so-called dining room, wondering why the hazel-eyed girl was coming.

 _Is she a part of the School or Itex?_ No. She hadn't done anything to indicate she was a part of that horrible place.

 _Is she going to hurt the Flock?_ Again, no. As far as Angel knew, Dove had no intention of hurting the Flock. If she did, the Flock could still easily take her down.

 _Is she going to change the Flock's lives?_ Probably. If that was good or bad, Angel didn't know.

As her family gathered around her, Angel finally admitted something she had refused to admit for a whole month.

Dove Atelis was coming.

And Angel had no idea why.

* * *

I am screwed.

I am _so_ screwed.

For those of you who are wondering, traveling in a portal is not fun. At all. It feels like you're a balloon being slowly deflated while riding your own personalized roller coaster.

I _really_ hope I don't die. If I do, I'll probably come back from the dead and kill Mason and Michael, because I like my life, thank you very much.

Have I mentioned that traveling in a portal is not fun?

After gagging several times and planning how I was going to kill Mason and Michael, the sensation stopped. I tried to get out of the portal and ended up tripping and falling on my face.

Dove: 0, Floor: 1.

After a few words my mother would make me wash my mouth with bleach for, I got up, picked up my bags, and looked in front of me.

Right there, _in front of me,_ were the people I had looked up to since I was a wee little kid. The Flock was a few yards in front of me, and they were all wearing amused smiles.

My first thought was, _SWEET CRISPY BACON THIS IS BETTER THAN MEETING BEYONCE OHMYGOD IN YOUR FACE NEIL ARMSTRONG HAHAHA NOBEL PRIZE HERE I COME._

My second though was more along the lines of, _I JUST FREAKING FELL IN FRONT OF MY IDOLS SOMEONE SHOOT ME NOW PLEASE AHHHHH._

(In case you were wondering, falling in front of your role models is quite embarrassing.)

I smiled weakly, trying to remain very calm and suave but failing miserably. My breathing had turned into hyperventilating, and my stomach was trying to climb up my throat. "Hi. Can we, um, redo the past two minutes and forget about me eating dirt?"

The Flock's smiles grew even more, and I could tell Gazzy and Iggy would never let me forget this.

That is, if they didn't kill me in the next five minutes first.

After a few minutes of silence that was filled with the occasional snicker, Angel spoke. "Hi, Dove. Nice to meet you."

I was about to answer when I realized that I had _never actually met Angel before._

How did she know my name?

Angel immediately understood why I hadn't said anything, and she laughed lightly. "Sorry to scare you. I think I should explain what's going on. Come on, I'll give you a tour of the house—er, cave."

I nodded, and asked timidly, "So does that mean no one's going to jump on my back and kill me? 'Cause that would be great."

I heard a low laugh come from the back of the group and saw Iggy. "Yeah, but we won't hesitate. I have a few bombs I need to test."

"Nice to meet you too," I muttered, before following Angel. When I passed Max, I could've sworn I saw a ghost of a smile on her lips.

* * *

"I feel like a NASA person," Michael groaned. "Except for the fact that I don't know if I just killed the astronaut or not."

" _Relax_ ," Mason said. "I know you have the hots for Dove, but stop worrying. If Dove did die, she would have come back and killed us."

Michael was about to respond with his own witty comeback before he realized what his best friend had said. "Are you trying to imply that I like Dove?"

Mason looked thoughtful for a moment before a mischievous glint appeared in his eyes. "No, I'm not trying to imply that you like her; I'm trying to imply that you're crazy for her."

Michael nearly choked. "W-what? No! I—I—" He stopped, knowing Mason was right. He flopped down on the couch and groaned. "We're too young, anyway." He said miserably.

Mason rolled his eyes at his friend's sulky behavior. "Oh, come _on,"_ He said. "You like her, she likes you. Just try going on a date with her. YOLO, right? Plus, it's not like you guys are in middle school. We're in high school. We're supposed to be all grown up and stuff. Drink. Do weed. Hook up with our childhood best friend."

Michael groaned again. "Mason, you idiot, we're not supposed to do that kind of stuff. Don't you remember the time you tried to smoke weed and—wait. Dove likes me?" He asked, disbelieving.

Mason nodded, smirking. "She might not know it yet, but she does. The sexual tension between you too is suffocating." He walked toward Michael and sat down next to him. "Okay, you need a game plan. You want to ask her out soon; but she's currently in the Maximum Ride dimension, right?"

Michael nodded sullenly.

Mason's grin grew wider. "Then listen up, my dear friend, because my plan is freaking _amazing_."

* * *

"Well," Max said, after everyone had settled down in their respective places, save moi. I settled on the ground next to Nudge and Angel. "I know you want us to explain how we know you, and I know you already know who we are, but we'll introduce ourselves anyway. I'm Max."

"Fang," The dark-haired guy sitting next to Max said.

"Iggy."

Nudge."

"The name's Gazzy. Also, can I have your numbe—OUCH NUDGE, YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO KICK ME THAT HARD." The blonde lean boy sitting next to Iggy yelled when Nudge kicked him in the shin.

"You don't even _have_ a phone, you idiot." Nudge mumbled.

Snickers and giggles filled the room before the greetings continued. "Phoenix!" The little dark-haired girl sitting in between Max and Fang chirped. The moment my eyes settled on her, my heart melted. How can the Flock ever say no to her?

"We usually _can't_ say no to her." Angel smiled, reading my thoughts.

"Yeah. Phoenix is worse than her mom." Fang grumbled, earning himself a playful punch and a kiss on the cheek by Max.

After re-meeting Star, Ratchet, Kate, and Holden, one last person remained. The boy had feathers covering his body and was wedged between Gaz and Holden. I immediately knew who it was.

"I'm Harry," He said, grinning.

(Okay, before you yell at me because of how stupidly blunt I was, let me review what had just happened. It was about four in the morning, I had just survived the Roller Coaster of Doom, and I had just met my favorite people ever. Wouldn't you be a little dazed, too?)

"You… You can talk now?" I stammered.

"Yeah, he can." Gazzy piped in. "Me and Iggy are good company, after all. Talking about toxic stuff really does work wonders."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Trust me, once you hear Iggy and Gazzy during one of their insult wars, you pick up a lot of new vocabulary."

I smiled and nodded. "Of course. What better vocabulary is there than moron and butthead?"

Laughter filled the mostly dark room, and after a few minutes, Phoenix yawned.

"Okay sweetie, time for bed." Max said softly.

"Noooooo…" Phoenix protested softly before falling asleep on Fang's lap. Max picked her up and whispered something to Fang before walking down the hall.

An uneasy silence filled the air and I looked down at my hands. Hmm, I've never seen that speck before…

 _Focus, Dove,_ I thought. _They already think you're a fail; there's nothing to lose._

I mustered up any courage I had left and spoke. "Well," I began. "Something tells me I should explain what's going on."

"That would be great." Fang nodded.

"That would," Angel agreed. "But I'll explain how I know you first. I'm getting bad vibes from you." She joked.

I smiled and nodded. "Go on."

* * *

"So," I said. "you've been getting visions of me for the past month?"

"Pretty much." Angel said.

"This brings a whole new meaning to the term 'stalker'." I muttered.

Nudge snorted. "Yep."

"Alright, my turn. Fair warning, though; you guys aren't going to believe me." I said.

"Please," Iggy scoffed. "We have _wings._ Angel reads _minds._ Fang isn't an _emotionless brick wall_ _after all_. Gazzy's farts could kill _anyone_. We can believe just about everything."

I shrugged and took a deep breath. _Here goes nothing…_

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Tada! Chapter 2!**

 **What do you guys think? Is the Flock canon enough? Let me know!**

 **(I went back and edited this later on 01/02/16. I had about twelve cringe attacks doing so XD)**


	3. Chapter 3: The Story of Oreos

**A/N:**

 **I am waiting for the day Krispy Kreme makes doughnuts with bacon bits inside of them.**

 **Please review! I would love to know what you guys think!**

 **Also: Thank you so much for reviewing, FandomsXUnite and Flowersocks2137. It means the world to me that you took the time to review my story. You guys rock :)**

 **This is another fairly short chapter, at 1k words. it's a kinda-sorta-not-really filler** **chapter.**

 **MAY THE BACON BE EVER IN YOUR FAVOR.**

* * *

"You're insane." Michael deadpanned.

Mason shrugged. "What's your point? Everyone already knows that."

"But this is different than your usual insane!" Michael exclaimed. "This is _asylum_ insane!"

"Oh, stop exaggerating. It'll be pretty cool, too. You'll get to meet the Flock." Mason said.

Michael thought he had heard a bit of envy in his best friend's voice. "You want to meet them, don't you?"

Mason shrugged again. "More than anything. But alas, being the super handsome tech guy has its drawbacks."

Michael fought the urge to roll his eyes. "You'll meet them. Dove will find some way to get them here. Now, remind me what the game plan is."

Mason grinned. "Operation Get Dove and Michael to Snog Each Other is now in session."

* * *

"—so, yeah." I finished lamely.

Silence filled the room as the Flock gathered their thoughts.

"Well, that was interesting." Nudge said. Max and the rest of the Flock nodded in agreement. Max had returned from getting Phoenix ready for bed and had listened to most of my story-which, for some reason, involved a lot of bacon and white fudge covered Oreos-and hadn't interrupted, which struck me as weird.

Max _always_ interrupted.

"Yep." I said, smiling weakly.

Max glanced at Angel, and they seemed to have a silent conversation with their eyes-err, minds.

* * *

After Atelis (I wasn't going to call her by her first name until I was sure she wasn't going to hurt the Flock) finished her story, I couldn't help but being a bit awestruck. No one could whip up a story like that.

"Well, that was interesting." Nudge said, breaking the silence.

I nodded, and I saw the rest of the Flock (save Phoenix) did the same.

I looked at Angel and tried to project my thoughts to her.

 _Angel._

 _Hmm?_ She replied, glancing at me.

 _Is she telling the truth?_

 _Yeah. While Dove was telling the story I snooped around her mind a little bit. She's telling the whole truth. even the bacon and Oreos part._ She responded.

 _Can you do your creepy mind thing to her?_ I inquired. Ooh, look at that. Bonus points for Max for nice vocabulary.

 _You mean read her mind?_ Angel joked.

I internally rolled my eyes. _I meant the '_ look into her life and see if she's not a psychopath' _thing._

Angel looked worried for a second, but then turned toward Atelis. "Is it okay if I do something to make sure you're telling the truth?"

Atolls nodded. "Sure. Go ahead."

Angel instructed us to hold hands with the person next to each other. I held Kate and Fang's hands. Even though we have been together for about six years, I still get butterflies when little things happen.

This was one of those little things.

 _Tell Fang it's not fair that his hands are so amazing._ I thought to Angel.

 _Okay._ After a few moments she spoke (or thought?) up again. _He says its one of his many gifts, and for what its_ _worth, you have nice hands too._

I turned toward Fang, who was smirking, and rolled my eyes.

"So far so good." Angel said. She then turned toward Atelis. "Now, I need you to hold look at my eyes. I'll be able to see your past, and then I'll project it toward the rest of the Flock, hence the holding hands. Cool?"  
Atolls looked reluctant for a moment before she nodded.

"Okay. On the count of three. One... Two... Three!"

* * *

Sweet pancakes with bacon bits.

When Angel did her ' _let's look at Dove's life so far!_ ' thing, I momentarily panicked. It wasn't like I had anything to hide; it was just that I would really like to not relive some stuff, thank you very much.

It was really weird, actually. I looked into Angel's eyes and suddenly I was me the day that I was born. We relived my whole life in the point of view of the then-present Dove. we lived my life so far in just a few minutes. My first steps, my first pancake with Nutella (a memory I hold dear to my heart), and when I met Mason and Michael.

Those were all happy times, but there was quite a few not-so-happy ones, too.

There was a specific moment that took place when I was ten...

 _My mom and dad had just tucked me into bed and had gone downstairs (we lived in a house back then). After a few moments, I heard glass shattering and my mom scream. My ten-year-old self got out of bed and tip-toed downstairs, only to find a guy in a ski mask towering over my mom and dad, my dad trying to protect my mom with his body. The guy was holding death in the form of metal, and my parents kept asking him if he wanted money, but the guy just shook his head..._

 _Angel_ I thought frantically _, Stop. Please._

 _... My parents kept asking him what he wanted, but Ski Mask stayed silent..._

 _Angel_. I thought, wanting to close my eyes but unable to turn away. _Angel, please..._

 _... Out of the blue, Dad pushed Mom out of the way._

 _"Run, Dianna! Take Dove!" He yelled._

 _Mom ran towards the staircase, only to find me staring, horrified, at the scene in front of me. She took my hand and started running._

 _We had almost reached the door when we heard Dad's scream._

I yanked my hands out of Nudge and Angel's grasp and tried to stifle my whimpers.

"I'm sorry!" Angel said frantically. "I'm so sorry! Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!"


	4. Chapter 4: Food From the Heavens

**A/N:**

 **Story time: I was getting out of my dad's car when this _really_ cute guy walked by. I tried to act all cool and suave but my foot got stuck. Ten point to Anna for social awkwardness.**

 **Anyway, here's the next chapter! Reviews from you fab people are always welcome.**

 **The next few chapters may seem like filler chapters, but I need them for character development and so the Flock can start trusting Dove.**

 **Pssttt: There's a little bit of Fax in here. A little bit cliche, but cute nonetheless. By the way: does anyone feel awkward when writing Fax stuff? I feel like I'm disrupting their privacy or something. Weird, I know!**

 **I probably will not have schedule for this story; I'll just upload whenever I'm not drowning in math** **problems :)**

 **MAY THE BACON BE EVER IN YOUR FAVOR.**

* * *

"So, this is the new girl? She drools a lot."

I opened my eyes to find a Scottie-like dog staring at me.

"SWEET MOTHER OF OREOS." I yelled, jumping out of my blankets at a speed the Flock would be proud of.

"Yell a bit louder, I don't think China has heard you yet." The dog I know realize to be Total deadpanned.

"Oh, come on, Total. You were staring at her in her sleep. That's just a _tiny_ bit creepy." A voice says. I turn around to find a black-haired girl smiling at me.

"Hi, Phoenix." I smile, ruffling her already-messy hair. "Your parents awake yet?"

After my not-so-glorious moment last night, Angel, Nudge, and Max had led me to an empty room (or, err, cave hole in this case) and had given me blankets. Angel and I had still been shaken up by the moments prior, but Max had confronted us before going to bed herself, and Nudge had used her motormouth skills to help us relax.

"I'm pretty sure they are now. Total was right-your scream is really loud." Phoenix responded brightly. She then sat down and started to play with Total, and I watched them goof around for a few minutes.

"You know," I tell Phoenix after a while, "You look a lot like your dad, but you have your mom's eyes."

Phoenix looks up and smiles. "Yeah, I know. I have my dad's wings, too."

My eyes widen. After last night's events, I had completely forgotten about the Flock's wings. Phoenix's had apparently been folded behind their back, because from where I was sitting, I couldn't see them.

"Can I see them?" I ask her.

"Sure!" She beams. She unfurls her wings to their maximum wingspan, which was about seven feet.

"Wow." I murmured. Her wings were beautiful; they were a deep blue-black that matched her hair.

Total scoffs. "What about my wings? They're pretty cool too. But, alas, no one pays attention to me anymore. Little Fifi here took all the limelight."

Phoenix smirks at Total. "Ah, Total, stop being so overdramatic. You get your fair share at dinner when you _demand_ seconds." She turned to look at me and rolled her eyes, discreetly pointing at Total. "He started a campaign for him and other dogs to be able to get the same amount of food as we do. He's _so_ full of it." Phoenix stage-whispered.

"I heard that." Total snapped.

"That was the point." Phoenix laughs.

I snort. "I'm assuming your sarcasm is Iggy and your mom's work, right?"

Phoenix furrowed her brows. "What does 'assume' mean?"

"It means the same thing as predict," Total says patiently.

"Oh. Then yes-it's their work. Dad's, too."

"Ninja Nix!" A voice yells. "Dove! Total! Get your butts over here before all the food is gone. Gazzy must be PMSing or something, because he looks like he's going to eat the whole stock."

"I am not!" Another voice I take to be Gazzy's yells. "Besides, no one uses the term 'PMSing' anymore."

"How would you know?" The first voice yells back.

Phoenix playfully rolled her eyes again. "That's Star and Gazzy. We better go, I don't doubt Gaz can eat all the food."

I nod. "Okay, but before we go, can you help me carry a few of the bags I have. I brought food."

* * *

"SWEET MOTHER OF OREOS."

I was out of my comfy blankets the second I heard the scream, but judging by the words, it was't serious. I glanced over at Fang, who was in the same battle-stance position I was, ready to fight a zombie Gunther-Hagen or something. It was kind of sad, actually; five years without being attacked and we were still awakened by the slightest noise.

"Marrgg, hirmg timmgerr" Fang groaned as he face-planted into his pillow.

"Come again?" I asked, trying to stifle a laugh.

Fang lifted his head up and tried again. "Max, I'm tired."

"I can tell." I said as I started walking toward my rather messy pile of clothes. I couldn't even take two steps before a strong pair of arms wrapped around my waist.

"Fang!" I whisper-shouted, blushing slightly.

"What?" He asked, pulling me into a hug. I could practically _hear_ him smirking.

I sighed, accepting my defeat at getting ready. "Nothing. But we'll be up in fifteen, okay?"

"M'kay." Fang mumbled into my hair. His grip around my tightened slightly, and I hugged him back.

"I love you," I whispered.

"I love you too." He responded. "Forever will."

"Forever will." I repeated softly before drifting off into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

I dragged the much-too-heavy bag of heavenly food into the eating area, groaning slightly.

Gazzy and Nudge looked at me, my bags, and each other, confused expressions covering their facial features. Angel studied me closely before helping me lift the bag onto their makeshift table.

"Do I want to know what's in there?" Nudge asked slowly, raising her (somehow perfectly groomed) eyebrow at me.

"Yeah, actually, you do." I said. "Unless, for some strange and unknown reason, you hate junk food."

Her eyes lit up before she launched into one of her famous rants. "Oh my gosh really? I haven't had junk food in, like, five years. It's so good even though its so bad for you, but, I mean, it's good for us but not for other people because the calories are _insane_ , and oh my gosh I really want junk food, like a burger sounds _really_ good right now-"

"Food?" A new voice asked from the nature-made doorway. We all turned to see Max standing there with Fang behind her standing protectively. Those two were _adorable_.

"Yeah." I said, feeling nervous. "I promise it's not bad-pick anything and I'll eat it."

"She's being honest." Angel added helpfully.

"Okay," Max said wearily. "Well, open 'em up. I'm starving."

* * *

"I don't think I've eaten anything better," Gazzy moaned after we had finished pigging out on millions of delicious calories. "Those bacon bits were _so_ good-"

"You're not supposed to eat them alone, you dumb butt." Angel said. "But they were pretty good. And the jerky-"

"The jerky? What about the Cheetos? Bursting with flavor, filled with exquisite " Total said sleepily.

I raised my eyebrows. "Umm... You guys okay? You seem a little... preoccupied with your food." I said as I spotted Iggy making out with his food.

I've been scarred.

"Mmm..." Phoenix said, finishing off the last of her barbecue chips. "We need strangers to come here with food more often."

"Agreed." Max said. "I forgot doughnuts tasted this good."

"Right," I said, feeling slightly weirded out. "Is it okay if we, uh, do something else? 'Cause I think Iggy is getting a little bit carried away with his food..."

Everyone turned to look at Iggy, who seemed to be having a lot of fun with his food.

"Ig," Gazzy said, sounding amused and disgusted at the same time. "We know the food is delicious, but chill. Phoenix can't be scarred just yet."

Iggy groaned. "But it's _so good_..."

* * *

Thirty minutes later, we were all seated around the table. We had finally gotten Iggy to stop making out with his food, but he had been whining ever since.

"It's not fair..." He groaned, throwing his hands up in the air. "For the first time in years we get to eat junk food, and you won't let me-"

"Ig, man, c'mon." Fang said exasperatedly. "You can eat later."

"You can eat the whole stock Dove brought for all I care," Max said. "Just stop whining before I kick your butt into next week. Dove has to tell us something."

I nodded. "Yeah. So, you guys saw all the bags I brought, and a lot of them were filled with food; but I didn't just bring that. I also brought a few technology stuff. Remember when Fang got ahold of a computer and it still had WiFi? I brought my phone, and I'm getting great service here." I held up my phone, which was showing three full bars. "So that means the WiFi is still working. How, I don't know, but it's a good thing. That means we can communicate with the dimension I came from. I also brought a first aid kit and other stuff in case you guys need it. My friends, Mason and Michael, are going to transport more stuff here soon. We need to set up the communication things to tell them what you guys need. I would appreciate if Iggy, Gazzy, and Nudge helped me with that. But for now I need to make a list of what you guys want them to bring here. They'll transport the stuff in about two weeks."

The Flock stared at me for a moment before everyone started talking at once.

"You brought your phone and you didn't tell me?" Nudge yelled hysterically.

"Tell Mary and Micah to bring more of those chips." Iggy said excitedly.

"Finally! We get to communicate with others! What a miracle!" Gazzy said.

"Guys... Guys!" Max yelled, and everyone stopped talking. "Okay. I think we definitely need a few tools to fix a few things. We might also need plywood and nails. Our blankets are getting worn out, so more of those would be great to have..."

After an hour of thinking of supplies, Nudge, Gazzy, and Iggy helped me set up the communication technology.

"Why are there so many wires?" I complained.

"Beats me." Iggy said. "Do you know how many bombs we could make out of this stuff? I would say at least twenty."

"No way, man. Maybe fifteen, but twenty?" Gazzy argued.

"Are you doubting my bomb predictions?"

"No, I'm doubting your overall intelligence."

* * *

"Finally!" I yelled. "Thank the heavens!"

"You sound like my grandma." Iggy deadpanned. "And I don't even _have_ a grandma."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. Let's see if it works.  
I pressed the green button next to the screen that had taken us _hours_ to set up. The screen lit up, and the words _CONNECTING_ flashed at the corner of the screen _._

After a few minutes, we heard static coming from the speaker.

"Holy crap, it worked," Iggy said, dumbstruck.

"Don't get your hopes up, Ig." I warned before speaking into the microphone. "Hello? Can you hear me?"

After a few seconds of static, a smiling Michael and Mason appeared on the screen.

"Loud and clear, Dovie."

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Chapter 4! Yay!**

 **Please note that this is not my best work, but reviews are still welcome. 3**


	5. Chapter 5: Nudge's Murder Tactics

**A/N:**

 **You know what's not cool?**

 **When Netflix doesn't have the movie you've been wanting to watch all week.**

 **Yeah.**

 **Not cool.**

 **Anyway, I realized I made a mistake in the last chapter. Dove says that her phone is getting WiFi, which makes no sense, so let's just pretend that Peru has invincible WiFi, okay?**

 **I hope you guys are still enjoying the story! All feedback is definitely appreciated! Ideas, constructive criticism, a joke, stories that involve bacon...**

* * *

"Loud and clear, Dovie."

Under normal circumstances, I would have tackled Mason for using that nickname, but right now, I was so happy to see him I nearly squealed.

 _Nearly_.

The room (cave hole) was so silent, I could hear Gazzy breathing a few feet behind me.

"Mason? Michael?" I asked, unbelieving.

"In the flesh. Not really, but still." Michael responded, beaming. "Glad to see you didn't explode. That's always nice."

Nudge shook her head to break out of her trance. "Oh my gosh, is this them? That's so cool! You know, the one in the left is kind of cute. Dove, you should totally go out with him. I can already tell that you guys are perfect for each other. Anyway, I can't actually believe it worked! I thought it was going to blow up in our faces or something. This is great! I can finally get new clothes! Do you have any idea how hard it is to clean clothes around here? It's so-mrfggg!" Iggy stopped Nudge's rant by covering her mouth with his hand.

"There. Much better." He grinned. "Total owes me five bucks. I'll go get Max and Fang to tell them your communication thing worked." He looked at me, and I saw he was a bit more... relaxed. Yeah, he was a bit more relaxed. I grinned at him, happy that someone in the Flock was staring to trust me, even the tiniest bit.

"Go ahead." I said. "I have a list of the things you guys need. I added a few wires and trinkets for your bombs, too."

He grinned wider. "You are freaking amazing, Dove. Don't let Nudge go into one of her rants-no one comes out alive." With that, he left with Gazzy.

After he left, I turned toward the screen, where Michael and Mason were sitting. Michael looked about ready to pass out from excitement, and Mason was jumping up and down. I glanced at Nudge, who looked like she was about to explode with questions.

"Shoot." I told her, bracing myself.

* * *

"You got it working?" Fang asked, disbelieving.

"Yep," Iggy said. "Aren't we the most amazing people ever?"

I rolled my eyes. "Keep telling yourself that, Iggy." We were outside hanging out near the cliff that was a mile or so from the cave. Fang and I were teaching Phoenix how to do new tricks in the air. She had only crashed into a tree once today, which was good thing. While Fang and I were helping Phoenix, Angel was with the other mutants, teaching them how to read. She was the one that got along best with all the kids, and she loved teaching them. "Are you sure you got it working, though? Have you tried it out?" I asked.

Gazzy scoffed. "We're not idiots, Max. Nudge and Dove are talking to her friends right now."

I nodded. The Flock seemed to be getting a bit more comfortable with Dove around, which I hoped was a good thing. I would never admit it out loud, but Dove was staring to grow on me. I think she's starting to grow on Fang, too. (She's got better jokes than Iggy does, and I didn't know that was possible until now.) After we looked into her past (doesn't that sound weird?), Angel had talked to Fang and I and had explained a bit more about Dove and her past. After her dad was murdered, her mom had thrown herself into work, which left Dove with only her two best friends and books. She had read about us (apparently, some dude named James Patterson had a visions about us and wrote them all down. Time to add something else to Max's List of Weird Things), and when her friends found the science thing that lead them here, they built a portal to come and help us. Even though my pride denies it, we really _do_ need help, so I hoped to all hope that Dove isn't some psycho that wanted to kill us.

"What happened?" Phoenix asked, landing a few feet away from us. She had been practicing how to fly by using a jump start, which was pretty hard. I had ended up with a bruised tailbone the first time I tried. Phoenix, thankfully, hadn't suffered that kind of dent in her pride, which I felt pretty accomplished about. You know those moms that always go, _"Oh, yeah. Little Sebastian here can play the violin in 27 different languages."_ and stuff like that? Next time someone does that, I'll go, _"That's nice. Phoenix can fly by doing a jump start, can fly at the speed of light,_ and _can breathe underwater."_

Points to Max and Fang for being the best parents ever.

"Nudge and Dove figured out how to talk to some of her friends," Gazzy explained to Phoenix. "Come on, Ninja Nix. Let's go practice you sharp turns."

I gave Gaz thankful smile before turning to Iggy and Fang. "Can we go check on them?"

Iggy nodded. "Yeah. Let's go see if anyone had suffered a horrible death by Nudge's rants."

* * *

"-and how will you be able to get the things we need here? I mean, we need, like, plumbing and everything. Oh my gosh, I have an idea. What if you guys bring a huge shed here and we can live in it? Or maybe multiple sheds. Yeah, that would be better." Nudge finally finished. Mason and Michael looked at each other and at me, their message clear: _help._

"Well, uh, I don't know the answer to why Tick Tock isn't a hit song anymore, but I can tell you how we'll get the things you need there." Mason said slowly. "We'll send them through the portal. Normally we would need a person to travel with the object, but I think we figured something out-"

"How'd you figure it out?" I interrupted, curious. We had made sure things wouldn't accidentally travel here; there needed to be a person in the portal for it to work. How did they manage to do that?

Mason's eyes glinted mischievously. "Can't tell you, Dovie dear. Top secret information for the people in the uncool dimension."

"Call me that one more time and I will figure out how to throttle you through the screen." I growled.

He raised his hands in surrender, laughing. "Okay, okay, I won't call you that again." He said. Then he added in a whisper, "Yeesh. Women."

"I heard that." Nudge and I snapped at the same time. We looked at each other and laughed.

"I see you guys are getting along great." Someone said from the entrance. I turned around to find Max, Fang, and Iggy at the doorway. Fang grinned and whistled appreciatively. "Wow. This is better than anything Iggy and Gaz have come up with. No offense, Ig, but it's true."

Iggy shrugged, unfazed. "None taken. I can't see how cool it looks, but I have a pretty good idea. The wiring was really advanced."

Max nodded. "I don't know how you guys set it up, nor do I want to know, but it's awesome." She looked at me and smiled. "I'm starting to like you more and more."

"That's probably my biggest accomplishment in life." I told her, smiling.


	6. Chapter 6: No Cookies? No Happiness

**A/N:**

 **Random Fact: the "l" in lnk On Paper is actually a lowercase "L" ;)**

 **I hope you guys like the story so far! So sorry about not posting; I'm afraid I won't be able to post the next two weeks either. I'm on vacation, ad I didn't _bring_ my laptop. There's a little bit of bonding time with Phoenix, Max, and Fang in this chappie.**

 **Speaking of Fang and Max, I'm somehow unable to have them have a cute moment without making it at least a little bit cliché.**

 **Oops.**

 **(Now that I think about it, this chapter must be the must voice filler chatter there is. I am literally drowning in all of them.)**

 **Flowersocks2137: YOU HAVE DREAMS ABOUT THEM TOO? I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE!**

 **Realhastowin: Thank you so much for your reviews! They made my day :D**

* * *

~Two weeks later~

* * *

"Come on, Dove, up and at 'em!" I shake Dove, but she only moans and turns around. I swear, this girl is harder to wake up that Total is.

"Nooo..." She groans before pulling her blankets up to her chin.

"We get the supplies today..." I coaxed.

She shot out of her makeshift bed faster than you can say Nutella.

I snorted. "Breakfast in ten."

She nodded, rummaging through her clothes. "Got it."

I walk out of her room, closing the long piece of wood softly. You could hardly call it a door: it doesn't have a handle, and it falls at least five times a day.

It's been two weeks since Dove came, but everyone's already acting like she's been here for ages. We all know we shouldn't be trusting her so easily, but I think she reminds all of us a little bit of Dr. Martinez and Ella. We haven't completely put our guard down, though; Iggy and Gazzy still have a few bombs hidden.

I rounded the corner leading to the room I share with Fang, only to find Phoenix being tickled to death by Mr. Macho himself.

"Have mercy! Dad, stoooop!" Phoenix shrieks.

"Never!" Fang yells, proceeding to tickle Phoenix's toes. Phoenix laughs hysterically and starts thrashing around.

I lean into the worn cave wall, admiring the little scene before me. Ever since Phoenix came, everyone's changed. Fang had become more opened, and it isn't rare to see him smile or laugh anymore. Ig had stopped being a huge sexist pig, and even Nudge had started to stop throwing sharp objects at Gazzy and Iggy when they blew up her clothes.

After a few minutes of Phoenix's angelic laughter (even though that little nugget is quite the opposite), Fang's tickles subsided. Phoenix laid down and Fang flopped down on the spot beside her. They hadn't noticed I was in the room yet, and I didn't have the heart to stop this adorable scene.

"Daddy?" Phoenix asked after a few moments of comfortable silence.

"What's up, Ninja Nix?" Fang asked her, propping himself up on one elbow.

"Do you love Mama?" Phoenix asked, cocking her head slightly.

Fang smiled. "More than even chocolate, although I don't make that clear all the time." Phoenix's eyes widened when he said he loved me more than chocolate, and he continued, smiling wider. "Why do you ask?"

Phoenix shrugged, pointing at the door, where I was currently standing. "Because she's right there."

I was blushing slightly at Fang's previous words, but I caught her gaze and smiled.

Fang followed Phoenix's stare and looked at me, his eyes wide but with a certain twinkle in them.

"Come on, Pup Girl," He said, using the nickname he made for me long ago.

I rolled my eyes but walked toward the bed, laying next to Fang. He wrapped his arm around me and I leaned into his chest.

"Wanna hear a joke, Mama?" Phoenix asked me.

"Sure." I say, closing my eyes briefly.

"What does a vegetable say when it chokes?"

"I don't know, what?"

"Help, I'm artichoking!"

* * *

"I should totally get a job at NASA," Mason mumbled.

"You'll probably manage to blow up the spaceship or something." Michael said bluntly.

"True, true." Mason responded. "But it would be fun. Now go hide; they're coming online."

Michael nodded before taking his place near the portal, away from the camera. His hands were sweaty and his heart was beating ninety miles a minute. What would he tell Dove when he saw her? 'I traveled to a new dimension because I really like you' wasn't a great option.

"Hey, Mason!" Dove's voice said.

"Bonjour," Mason responded in a French accent.

Michael could basically _hear_ Dove rolling her eyes.

"Where's Michael?" She asked.

"He had to go do family stuff," Mason said. "He's really sorry for missing the launch of the Roller Coaster of Doom 2."

"Oh," Dove said. Michael thought he heard a bit of disappointment in her voice, and his heart fluttered.

"Aw, Dovie, don't be so sad. Your darling Michael is fine." Mason smirked.

Michael could feel the bad vibes from Dove all the way here. (What were her parents thinking, naming her Dove? Not that Michael actually minded–he really liked that name. It just sometimes seemed that Venom would fit her better.) "Get the launch going, you git." She all but growled.

"Going all British, aren't we?" Mason joked.

"You have ten seconds," Dove warned.

Mason launched the portal in six.

* * *

Michael felt a pang of sympathy for Dove when he rode the Roller Coaster of Doom. It did not feel like being Doctor Who. At all. It felt like being an ant, slowly being squashed, but not dying. Not that he knew how ants feel on the verge of death, anyway. Michael suddenly feel guilty about killing all the ants he had killed before.

After a few minutes of Michael mentally writing his own will and mourning over all the dead ants, the sensation stopped.

* * *

"The stuff should be there in about five minutes." Mason said.

I nodded. "We'll head over there. Talk to you later, Mason. If you didn't pack my cookies I will make your life a living hell."

Max snorted when Mason's face paled before he hit the off button. The rest of the Flock started laughing.

"Yo-you said th-that so se-seriously..." Iggy said in between laughs.

"Well, I did mean it." I said, but grinned anyway.

"I'll help you with your mission if he did forget the beloved cookies." Fang smiled.

"Nice to know I'm not the only one that's overprotective about my cookies." I laugh. We start heading toward the place where I had landed on my face the first day I was here with the Flock. We waited for a few minutes, and I pretended not to notice Fang and Max whispering to each other and Nudge sending me knowing glances. Dang, do I still have cookie crumbs on my face? Are Gaz and Iggy going to do one last prank on me? I knew I shouldn't have brought them the chemistry set—

"Holy crap, that was worse then the time I rode the Iron Rattler." Someone says, and I nearly get whiplash from looking up so fast. Standing next to all the supplies we asked for is a certain black haired friend I've terribly missed.

(If it were up to me, I wouldn't get into all the mushy and cliché stuff that happens next, but it's not up to me. It's up to Max, who is currently threatening me by vowing she'll eat all the cookies left. And there's no way in hell that I will let that happen.)

I stare at him for a moment, and he tilts his head slightly at me, the way puppies do. I shake my head lightly, smile, and rush forward to hug him. Part of me is saying I should probably get an award for being so cliché, but another part of me is so happy to be hugging him again, his scent of pine engulfing me

(This sounds so cliché it must be illegal. Seriously.)

We stay like that for about five seconds before Gazzy starts wolf-whistling. "There's a hot new couple in town!"

"I- We're- not..." I stutter. I catch Max's eye and she discreetly points at her and Fang, and then at Michael and me. Her message couldn't be clearer.

I am _so_ screwed.


	7. Chapter 7: Cavity Central

**A/N:**

 **Hi guys!**

 **Can we just talk about how annoying it is to type a chapter on a phone? Like. No.**

 **Anyway, I'm going to go in fangirl mode for a little bit bECAUSE FROGSTER ACTUALLY PMed ME LIKE WHAT EVEN OMG OMG THE TEARS ARE REAL MAN AHHHH**

 **Please don't kill me when you finish reading this chapter. I know I'm horrible.** ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

 **Flowersocks2137: tHERE ARE COTTON CANDY FLAVORED GRAPES? I MUST TRY THEM. ALSO THANK YOU FOR YOUR REVIEWS THEY MAKE MY DAYYYYYYY :)))**

 **FandomsXUnite: *bows* Thank you thank you :)**

 **MAY THE BACON BE EVER IN YOUR FAVOR**.

* * *

You know what's not cool? Seeing your best friend after a few unbelievably weird weeks and then be attacked by Erasers.

Yeah.

Not cool.

One minute, I'm hugging the living daylights out of Michael because there's finally another sane person to accompany me, and the next minute I'm in a funky karate position because I heard a low growl off to my right. I scan the surroundings and nearly scream my head off.

Because there's an _Eraser_.

 _Standing in the porch._

(Well, not really in the porch, 'cause we don't have one, but you get the idea.)

I don't get it. Those things were supposed to be extinct years ago. There shouldn't be any more left—their expiration dates aren't that long.

But there was an Eraser not even five feet away from me, and it was very much alive. Behind that Eraser, two other ones are standing, their arms crossed.

No one moves for a few seconds. I study the grinning Eraser that seems to be the leader and realize with a jolt that it wasn't just any Eraser—it was Ari.

Ari is the first to speak. "Hi, sis. How's it going?" He looks at Max, his disgustingly long teeth shining in the sun. (Look at my poetic skills. Fabulous, right?.)

Max looks dumbstruck. "You're- you're supposed to be dead." She manages shakily.

Ari laughs. A horrible, cruel, colder-than-the-bathroom-floor-during-winter laugh. He looks at Phoenix and then at Fang, and his smile only widens. "That must've been the, what, seventh time you've said that?"

Max seems to shake out of her trance at that retort and growls. "Get lost, Ari. You're not hurting anyone ever again."

Ari laughs again and raises his eyebrows. "Max, poor Max. Don't you get it? I'm _helping_ the world. I want the little girl."

"Well, you aren't getting her." Fang snaps.

"Watch me." Ari sneers.

And all hell breaks loose.

Ari, Max, and Fang start fighting, blow after blow after Chuck Norris kick. I grab Phoenix and give her to Nudge.

"Get her out of here! Warn Kate and Star that they need to go hide in the cave, they're with the kids!" I yell.

She nods solemnly, adjusts Phoenix so she won't get hurt by Nudge's wings, and takes Angel by the hand. They're out of sight in seconds, their wings beating fast against the howling wind. Iggy, Gazzy, and Michael take the bigger Eraser out of Ari's backup gang, and I see Ratchet and Holden take the other one. I take a deep breath. I know what to do.

"Hairy Face! Cavity Central! Yo!" I yell at Ari. He looks at me and snickers.

"What do you want, Atelis?" He asks while blocking Fang's punch.

I panic for a moment when he says my name, but I empty my face of any expression and continue. "I want to make a deal." I say calmly.

Max and Fang stop fighting, and Michael glares at me from where he's standing, a cut above his right eyebrow bleeding heavily and an unconscious Eraser lying next to him.

Ari straightens and smirks. "Let's hear it."

I close my eyes and starts talking. "You take me to the School, but you never hurt the Flock again. Ever. As in, you don't come five miles near this place." I know it's a lame deal, and that Ari could very well break his promise, but it's better than nothing.

"Dove." Fang hisses.

I ignore him and keep going. "You can do whatever you want to me, give me freaking llama legs or whatever, but you never hurt anyone in the Flock, or any of their friends. Understood?"

"I'll go too." Michael says. I glare at him with my ultimate death glare, but he resists. "Take me to the School, and you have two people for the price of the little girl."

Ari grins. "Deal."

"Dove!" Max yells. "No! What the heck, Dove?"

I swallow. "It's not up to you, Max." I say quietly.

I walk over to Ari with Michael by my side, and Ari ties a rope around our ankles and hands.

I look at Fang and Max one more time, and my vision gets foggy. The looks on their faces couldn't be more heartbroken; Max is in tears, and Fang is gripping her hand tightly, his face pale. They know they can't do anything, and it kills them. It kills me, too. I never wanted to hurt them like this, but it's what I had to do.

I look at them one more time, forcing myself not to cry, but the tears come anyway.

 _I'm sorry._


	8. Chapter 8: Not 007 Headquarters

**I AM SO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING IN LIKE FOREVER AND A HALF AHHHHHH**

 **ANYWAY HERE'S CHAPTER 8 SO YAY**

 **I honestly had a really hard time writing this chapter because I got writer's** **block and I had no idea how to write this dhfbdsgfwfhbskfc**

 **IDK WHAT TO SAY EXCEPT DOES ANYONE WATCH DAN AND PHIL IF YOU DO TELL ME SO WE CAN BE FRIENDS AND EXISTENTIAL CRISIS TOGETHER**

 **(psstttttt you should totally thank _ryankrage77_ for telling me all about dimensions and stuff I feel so smart now omg)**

 **THIS A/N IS A HUGE MESS SO IMMA LEAVE BYE**

 **THIS CHAPTER IS ALSO A MESS JUST WARNING YOU**

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 **ryankrage77: Thank you so much bro you cool af (idk what my life has become help #youknowitsseriouswhenyouuseinternetslanginfanfiction)**

 **Flowersocks2137: I check my fanfiction account every five seconds, you're not alone :)**

 **MAY THE BACON BE EVER IN YOUR FAVOR.**

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After 16 days of being poked and prodded, I have learned a very important life lesson:

Needles _hurt_.

And I'm not talking about the teeny-weeny needles they use at the doctor's office; I'm talking about needles so deathly they could be categorized as a weapon in war.

But maybe I should start at the beginning of this crazy adventure, right?

When Ari led Michael and me (ten points to Dove for having snazztastic grammar) away from the cave, I was too busy wallowing in self-pity to know what was going on. It was only when Ari threw us (literally) into a white van and I hit my head on the roof that I snapped out of my emo funk. After looking around the cramped vehicle, my eyes widened and I snorted.

I repeat: I _snorted_.

Why did I snort like a demented pig in front of people-eating-werewolves?

Because it was a white van. A stereotypical bad guy white van.

It was hilarious.

Ari threw me a dirty look and Michael looked at me like I was crazy, which only made me laugh harder. (Don't judge. I'm ninety-nine percent sure I was high.)

"Why are you laughing?" Michael whispered, looking seriously concerned for my health.

"White van," I gasped, clutching my sides. " _white van_."

Michael's eyes lightened up with understanding and he started to laugh too. (I'm also ninety-nine percent sure he was high, too. I'm telling you; white van fumes are bad.)

"What?" Ari asked again, but he looked more confused than angry now.

"It's- it's a ste- stereotypical white van," Michael wheezed, laughing so hard tears were starting to fall down his smooth cheeks. Not that I noticed how smooth his cheeks were or anything. Just. I was observing the situation, okay?

Ari made a noise that I think was supposed to be a growl but ended up sounding like a dying alpaca, which made us laugh even harder. While we were pathetically rolling around the little space we had in the van, Ari looked ready to kill a puppy. (Which is absolutely horrible. Don't kill puppies, kids.)

But do you really think that would make us stop laughing?

Of course not.

The two now-conscious backup Erasers opened the back van doors and gagged us, which ruined the nice little mood Michael and I had going on. One of them accidentally (but probably on purpose, let's be honest) elbowed me in the gut, which made me wince slightly.

"Shut up." The Eraser growled.

I was about to respond with a witty comeback that involved llamas when Michael gave me a stern look. I shrugged and tried to get comfy, or as comfy as I could in a white van that looked more orange than white and smelled like a locker room.

This was going to be interesting.

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After a terribly long car ride, (I'm pretty sure I zonked out for a really long time, and I might have accidentally kicked Michael once or twice; I move a lot when I sleep, okay?) we finally got to our destination.

It did not look like I expected. I expected some type of super-snazzy James Bond kind of thing that turned invisible when you snap your fingers, but I was instead greeted by a beaten-down shack that looked more like a place where drug dealers would hang out then where evil scientist would work to destroy lives.

Hmmm... There isn't much of a difference, eh?

The two backup Erasers (I'm tired of calling them that. How about Bob and Joe?) okay, Bob and Joe shoved Michael and me (TEN POINTS TO DOVEEEE) out of the van and into the sketchy shack, which smelled worse than one of Gazzy's 'surprises', and that's not a compliment to anybody.

I stumbled into the main living area with Michael close behind. I looked around, slightly grossed out by the dead rat in the corner and slightly disappointed that the shack was not one of those cool tents that turn out to be huge mansions, like in _Harry Potter_.

I looked around for a few seconds before something interrupted my thoughts.

"Glad you could join us, my children!" A voice boomed from the other side of the shack.

I froze.

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 **DUN DUN DUNNNNNN**

 **Who do you think was the person that made Dove flip out? YOU'LL NEVER GUESS HEHEHEHE**

 **Please review! I love hearing your opinions**

 **EDIT: ALSO OMG I READ _THE AMAZING BOOK IS NOT ON FIRE_ ITS FANTABULOUS OK OK**


	9. Chapter 9: Worst Surprise Ever

**A/N:**

 **Hey fam, I'm so sososososososo sorry for not uploading in, like, five years. Feel free to hate me.**

 **Unfortunately, I have had zero inspiration to continue this fanfic, so I will put it on hiatus until I get inspired again. I'm so sorry.**

 **Here's the last chapter (for now):**

 **(also this chapter is a mess like idk anymore m8)**

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I froze.

That voice sounded familiar...

I turned around and gasped.

 _No freaking way_.

"Dad?"

Robert T. Atelis smiled and outstretched his arms, gesturing for me to go and hug him.

I didn't move.

His smiled faltered a bit and his arms fell to his sides. He turned away from me and looked at Michael, who was wearing the same expression I was.

"Hello, Michael." Dad said.

Michael glared at him before responding. "Aren't you supposed to be dead?"

Dad smiled again, but now it looked strained and weary. "Ah, yes. Let me explain."

"That would be extremely helpful, _Dad_." I spat, giving him my Glare of Death™. What was he doing here, with the Whitecoats and Erasers?

He winced slightly but began to talk. "I'm terribly sorry for the 'death' act, Dove, but it was needed. You see, I've been working for Itex and the School — that's what you call it, right? Anyway, I've been working for Itex since you friend Max destroyed most of Itex. A few scientists who survived contacted the surrounding dimensions, asking for help. This was shortly after you turned eleven, and as you might recall, we needed money badly back then. The scientists asked for my help in exchange for all the money we needed. I took the job, even after we were financially stable again, I kept on doing it. It's a very interesting job, actually. A year later, they asked me to make a portal from our dimension to this dimension. I accepted. After a few months, I finished the portal. They asked me to come, and since there was no way I could explain it to your mother or to you, I faked my death to be able to travel to this dimension. But enough of that, right? Let me show you your new living quarters!"

He gestured for Michael and me to follow him, and I obeyed warily. Everything was starting to make sense; the frequent business trips, the never-ending phone calls, the long hours he spent shut in his study.

Robert led us through a narrow passage that was filled with crates, and I tried my best not to wince. Every single crate was occupied with some poor victim that had been experimented on.

And most of them were failed experiments.

"I know what you're thinking, but don't worry. We've been working on something new-" Robert began.

"A new way to make other people's lives a living hell?" Michael asked furiously.

Robert frowned. "No. We've been combining several different types of animal DNA with human DNA. All of the techniques have failed so far, but we believe this one is the one. And you two are the lucky winners who get to test them!"

"Yippee," I muttered, glaring at Robert.

We walked around for a few more minutes (hmm. Maybe this is kind of like a James Bond headquarters. The shack looked tiny on the outside.) until we reached a room with two beds and a small desk. Robert shoved us in and grabbed the door handle.

"This is going to be where you will be staying until we are able to do the tests. Food will be brought three times a day, and you will be able to take a five minute break every two hours." He smiled and held up a silver key. "This is just a precaution. Don't want you running away, right?" He chuckled to himself before closing the door, which was followed by a faint _click!_

Michael and I examined the room, but there was no way we could escape. We didn't even have a _window_.

"This'll be fun," I murmured.

"Definitely."


End file.
